CHEYENNE—Lawmakers made unusually quick work of the budget Friday, reaching a deal that restores most of Gov. Mark Gordon’s funding recommendations for the University of Wyoming in the state’s unified budget.
That includes $40 million in block grant funding, $12.5 million in matching funds and about $1.7 million for Wyoming Public Media. The restorations to the school total almost $61 million. School officials had worried that cuts of that size would result in layoffs.
Lawmakers also adopted the governor’s request for employee salary raises, including $27.7 million for the school.
UW President Ed Seidel was cautiously optimistic about Friday’s development.
“The compromise bill is subject to final approval by the House and Senate, which should never be assumed,” Seidel said. “So, we should be cautiously optimistic while recognizing a positive step forward.”
Laramie Democrat Rep. Trey Sherwood lauded the news. She’s been one of the few members of the Joint Appropriations Committee who had opposed cutting funds for UW
“I am so thankful for the students, faculty, staff, and alumni who reached out and made their voices heard,” she told WyoFile in a text. “This is the power of civic engagement.”
The lawmakers opted to keep a caveat in the unified budget that requires the school to use some of its state money to review its “organizational structure and staffing patterns,” identify positions and degree programs that could be eliminated and “recommend opportunities to further restrict any diversity, equity and inclusion” programming.
UW will also have to submit a $5 million cost savings and reinvestment plan to the governor and the Joint Appropriations Committee — the state’s main budgeting arm — by December or risk losing $10 million in state funding.
Much of that language comes from an amendment brought last week on the House floor by Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, a member of the Joint Conference Committee — the group tasked with negotiating a unified state budget between the House and Senate funding positions. Bear’s amendment, however, had sought at least a $20 million cut, with another $20 million on the line if the school failed to come up with a savings plan.
Bear, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, had told WyoFile prior to the session that the proposed budget restrictions were meant to curb “an increase in administration” and “woke education” at the university. He explained to his House colleagues that the $40 million block grant cut was meant to get the university’s “attention.”
Asked in a text message if he was happy with the UW funding compromise, Bear said, “I think it will accomplish the desires of the people of Wyoming.”
Overall, the two chambers had landed $170 million apart on their two budget versions last week, a gap that Don Richards, budget and fiscal administrator for the Wyoming Legislative Service Office, told lawmakers was “not unusual.”
The House had the more conservative budget, coming out slightly under Gordon’s recommendations. Meanwhile, the Senate had largely restored the governor’s budget proposal.
Speaker of the House Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, filled the House side of the negotiating committee with members from the Wyoming Freedom Caucus — a group of hard-line Republicans that took over the Wyoming House last election cycle. Neiman selected himself, alongside Bear and Reps. Abby Angelos, R-Gillette, Scott Heiner, R-Green River and Ken Pendergraft, R-Sheridan to sit on the committee. Neiman was not at the meeting Friday.
Senate President Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester, picked himself, Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne, Tim Salazar, R-Riverton, Gary Crum, R-Laramie, and Mike Gierau, D-Jackson, to represent the upper chamber in the budget negotiations.
Freedom Caucus members and allies on the JAC had put forth a budget bill that cut deep into many state entities.
The JAC’s position on UW in particular drew much public attention. The committee’s proposal to slash the school’s block grant by almost 11% in addition to other cuts pushed Seidel, who historically has stayed mum on pending legislative actions, to speak out against the cuts.
What ensued in the House was a grueling tug-of-war between those fighting to restore funding to the school and those who wanted to use the cuts to move the school in a different direction. Debate over UW’s funding took up hours of time on the House floor. The House ultimately adopted Bear’s amendment to restore $20 million to UW’s block grant, with the previously mentioned caveat that the money would be taken away if the school didn’t come up with a cost savings plan.
In contrast, the 10 lawmakers on the Joint Conference Committee whizzed through the combined amendments on Friday, negotiating a unified budget in a little under two hours.
The unified budget must still be approved by the House and Senate before going to the governor for review.
WyoFile reporter Maggie Mullen contributed reporting.
For more legislative coverage, click here.
Because of the lack of common sense in the Wyoming legislature, defunding UW, (which heck, isn’t even one of the the highest ranked universities in the country) thus not helping that institution, or defunding super-basic services like WPR, we have decided to move our 35- year Wyoming-based business elsewhere. There are better places providing more, really basic services, available in the world. We. Are. Done.
Regarding the UW funding compromise, Bear said, “I think it will accomplish the desires of the people of Wyoming.”
I believe that voting Bear and the rest of his fellow Wyoming FreeDumb Caucus cohorts out of office in 2026 will “accomplish the desires of the people of Wyoming.”
Amen to that thought Bruce. Wyoming (and this country) deserve a lot better than the unbridled lying and corruption coming from the far right.
amen.
Glad they didn’t defund UW. They should save cuts for entities that SHOULD be cut, such as the Wyoming Anti-Business Council.